Welcome to the book report on the Newbery Medal winning book, The Tale of Des-

pereaux by Kate DiCamiollo.

Here is a collection of notebook pages and lapbook pieces which can be used together or

separately. I have created pages for the lapbook pieces to attach to, but you can, of

course, just put them on a lapbook if you prefer.

There are two pages without instructions. There is a characters page where the student is

to fill in each character’s family tree, what we know from the book. And the last page

there are three outline drawings where the student should write (one in each piece) the

three things which are powerful, wonderful and ridiculous. (These are love, hope and

forgiveness—if you haven’t read the book yourself.) But you should read the book, it’s

an exciting, fun quick read.

As always, this is free to share but not to sell or to use for any commercial benefit.

Please do not post this file on a site used to gain revenue. You can email this to some-

one, but please let them know about my blog http://hebrews110.wordpress.com and the

Simply Lapbooks Yahoo Group so they can get all the other materials as well.

Hope this is helpful to you!

The Tale of Despereaux

By: Kate DiCamillo

Characters

_____________ _____________

_____________ Despereaux _____________

_________________ _________________

Princess Pea

The Prisoner Mother (died)

__________________

Main Character

Cut each

out as o

ne p

iece and fo

ld in

half w

ith th

e word

(s) or

pictu

re for th

e cover. In

side th

e pictu

re piece w

rite about D

es-

pereau

x. W

hat is h

e like? W

hat m

akes h

im d

ifferent?

In th

e

“perfid

y” p

iece write th

e defin

ition an

d w

hat h

appen

ed to

mak

e

that th

e pertin

ent w

ord

for D

espereau

x. In

the last p

iece write

what h

is quest w

as.

perfid

y

The

Quest

The Princess Pea

Cut each

out as o

ne p

iece and fo

ld in

half so

the in

sides are em

pty

. Write

about th

e prin

cess in th

e pictu

re piece. W

hat d

o w

e know

about h

er? W

hat is

she lik

e? W

e learn later in

the b

ook th

at she h

as lighten

ess and d

arkness in

her

heart. T

he lig

ht is h

er empath

y. D

efine em

path

y. W

hat d

arkness d

oes sh

e hav

e

in h

er heart?

Write ab

out th

at in th

e oth

er heart p

iece. You m

ight w

ant to

colo

r that h

eart in b

lack.

empathy

darkness

Roscuro

Cut each out as one piece and fold in half so the insides are empty. Write

about Roscuro in the picture piece. What do we know about him? What is he

like? Write the definition of his full name in the triangle piece. Write inside

the last piece about how he helps the princess and Despereaux in the end.

Chiaroscuro

How Does

He Help?

Miggery Sow

Everyone Has

A Story

What is

Mig’s Story?

Cut each out as one piece and fold in half so that the insides are blank. In the picture

piece write about the two things Mig says that she wants. Inside the other piece write her

story. What has happened to her?

The Darkness and the Light

What brings light or dark

into someone’s heart?

Cut out as one piece. Fold the two side flaps so that the inside is empty.

Under one flap write what brings light into someone’s heart. Color the

other flap black. Under it write what brings darkness into someone’s heart.

Attach to the Darkness and the Light page.

Forgiveness

Despereaux

Roscuro

Princess P

ea

Miggery Sow

Cut out as one piece. Fold the two flaps in so that the question is on the

cover. Crease well. Cut along the lines. Write inside who the characters

needed to forgive. Remember you can write behind the name and in this

middle section. Some have just one. Some have several. Attach to

“Forgiveness” page.

Whom Must

They Forgive?

How Important Is Forgiveness? Matthew 6:12-15

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

What do these verses teach us about

the importance of forgiveness?

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Conformity Reader, you must know that an interesting fate (sometimes involving

rats, sometimes not) awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who

does not conform. From The Tale of Despereaux, end of chapter three

conform

Ways I Conform

**************************

Ways I Don’t

Conform

Cut each out as one piece. Write the definition of conform inside the one piece. The

petal piece: you are looking at the inside. Write in the top two petals ways that you

conform to the norm of society. In the bottom two petals write ways you don’t con-

form. You can write more than one per petal. Attach to “conformity” page.

Three Things